Chris Young not Willing to go to Minors with Washington Nationals

By David Miller

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Clearly by now we know that the Washington Nationals have a stacked pitching staff that a lot of experts believe is the best on in the National League. That is great if you are a Nationals fan but not so great if you are a pitcher trying to win a job with the team. Chris Young found himself in that position this spring. It was one of those deals where he had the option of going to the minors to stick with the Nationals if he didn’t make the 25-man roster. Young wanted nothing of it.

Who could really blame him? This isn’t a first year player that has little or no experience. He has a track record of pitching well from the starters spot and that is what he wants to do. It is hard to blame him for that when there were scouts for several teams watching the final game he pitched for the Nationals. There is no sure way of knowing which scouts were watching him but to be sure there are teams interested in the veteran starter.

Why in the world would he want to stick around in the minor leagues just in case one of the Nationals pitchers got hurt? He is a pitcher not an insurance policy. Not that I blame the Nationals for trying. It is the logical move to give him the option of sticking around. Young just has way too many major league options for him to settle for less than that.

Whoever winds up grabbing him for the start of the season, they will be getting a quality arm that might win fifteen games if he can ever get some run support. His WHIP numbers are constantly really good and he still has plenty of life left in that arm. No matter who picks him or when, Young will be glad he didn’t stick in the minors for the Nationals.